On August 11th, 2020, I embarked on my first multi-day backpacking adventure. I chose one of the most stunning trails in British Columbia called the “Berg Lake Trail” at Mount Robson Provincial Park.

This trail literally gives you everything you could possibly want in a nature adventure. Glaciers, rivers, turquoise glacier fed lakes, waterfalls, dozens of rocky mountains including the tallest Canadian rocky mountain: Mt. Robson!

Camping along the Berg Lake Trail

With seven different campsites along the trail, you can easily break up your trip in more manageable hiking chunks. This is what appealed to me the most. I was a bit nervous about carrying so much weight while hiking, so I broke up the trip so that it wouldn’t be too challenging. To be honest, the trail itself is not too difficult. The section that is more challenging is the section between Whitehorn campground and Emperor falls. Other than that section, the trail is pretty pleasant to hike with the pack on.

We did the Berg lake trail in 6 days and 5 nights. We wanted to have time to check out some day hikes, relax and really enjoy our surroundings. Some people do this trail in a much quicker time, even as just a day hike! Yikes! In my opinion, you should consider staying 4 or 5 days because I can assure you, you aren’t going to want to leave! There are so many day hikes to check out, plus it’s just such a gorgeous place to camp.

For our trip, we camped the first night at Whitehorn campground, three nights at Robson pass campground and the last night back at Whitehorn.

In this blog, I will start my going through our trip, day by day. Then I will break down some resources and tips for planning and booking your trip to Berg lake! So let’s get started!

On August 11th, 2020, we arrived at the Mt. Robson Visitor Centre around noon to receive our camping permits that we had reserved back in October. It was a pretty quick process, which we were happy about, because it was a gorgeous start to the day and we were anxious to get started.  Just down the road from the visitor centre is where the Berg lake trail begins. There is a big parking lot where you can leave your vehicle for the duration of the trip. There is no additional costs to park which is nice!

The road to the trailhead

I was super stoked to get started on the trail. My feelings of nervousness had subsided and now I was just extremely excited. I had spent many years telling myself I wasn’t capable of doing multi-day hikes, but here I was about to head on a 5 night trip!

Ready, Set, Go!

The hike from the trailhead to White horn campground is 11km with 244m elevation gain. This was a pleasant start to our adventures as it is was a very gradual incline with many flat sections. It allowed us to get used to the weight we were carrying on our backs. My pack was 41 pounds, which was one of the lightest of the group, whereas, some of the group members were carrying up to 50 pounds!

The trail is very scenic from the very start. We began by following the gorgeous turquoise Robson river. This river flows throughout the whole trail and into the lakes. We quickly began to see Mt. Robson and the surrounding mountains.

Crossing over to our first views of Kinney Lake

Kinney Lake

We decided to keep on trekking until we made it to Kinney lake campground. It is a great spot to stop for a snack break, get shelter if needed, and take the heavy packs off for a bit. The campground is at the 7km mark, but you approach the start of the lake at around 5kms (give or take).

Kinney lake was much bigger than I had anticipated. It is a stunning bright turquoise color and is surrounded by the rockies. A lot of people do day hikes here and there are a few different picnic areas. People are also able to bike to Kinney lake but are not allowed to bike further. There are bike racks where people can lock up their bikes and continue the trail on foot. The bike racks can be found at the end of the campground before carrying on past Kinney lake.

Carrying on past Kinney lake, the trail offers a bit more ups and downs, but it’s only 4km from here to Whitehorn campground. As we were leaving the Kinney lake campground we approached a junction where you see a sign that says Main trail (pointing you to turn right instead of going straight). Other members of our group took this trail. A couple of us, however, got a tip from some nice ladies on an easier route. They told us if we continued straight through the valley, which was a flat trail, that we would meet up again to the main trail and skip out on added elevation gain. We were definitely fine with skipping out on some extra elevation (haha). We could see our friends up high on the main trail, so of course had to brag that we found an easier way.

Whitehorn Campground

As we approached our campground for the night, we experienced a grand entrance by crossing a large suspension bridge over the river into the site. I was much more pleased by this campground than I had originally anticipated I would be. Honestly, I thought it’d be pretty anti-climatic. To my surprise it was stunning! You have the rushing Robson river steps away and you are surrounded by big mountains. Also, this is where the Valley of a Thousand Falls begins.

I liked that the tent pads were scattered throughout the forest and you could find some spots that felt a little more separated than the others. There are a total of 22 tent pads, 2 large bear caches, a big open shelter, a washing station and 3 outhouses. You can also find one of two ranger stations across the river from this campground. We chatted with one of the rangers and there’s a few of them that take turns staying there and taking care of the trail between the trailhead to this campground.

The next day it was time to pack up and continue on the Berg Lake trail to Robson Pass campground. This is where we were going to be staying for the next three nights. It had rained overnight, but thankfully dried up before we had to pack our tents up.

We were super stoked that we would get to ditch the giant packs for 3 days. However, we still had to get through today’s steep trek! From Whitehorn campground to Robson Pass, you hike 12km with 552m elevation gain. That sounds alright, but the first 5km is where the majority of the elevation gain is. Between Whitehorn and Emperor Falls campground you gain over 500m in 5kms. After that stretch, it is pretty flat the majority of the time as you only gain 34 more meters in elevation from Emperor Falls campground and Robson Pass.

The day started out cool with some rain sprinkling here and there. We were feeling pretty grateful because we were able to stay cool while we were trudging up to Emperor Falls. For some reason I was surprised at how many waterfalls we passed along the way, even though I knew we were going through the Valley of a Thousand Falls (haha). I guess I was more so surprised that we would see a couple of larger waterfalls before the big daddy falls (aka Emperor Falls).

White Falls

After enjoying a few cliff falls we quickly stumbled upon the base of White Falls. You can enjoy this waterfall from the bottom and then from the viewing point up top (a nice spot to catch your breath). This waterfall often gets overlooked but it’s actually worth checking out. From the bottom, if you hike in close enough, you will see 3 tiers of this water fall. There are actually 4 of them but the top portion is hidden from both viewpoints. It’s estimated that this waterfall drops about 400 feet according to the World WaterFall Database.

Falls of the Pool

Another stunning waterfall to enjoy along the way is Falls of the Pool. This was also another great excuse to stop for a break during the steep hike up. There is a nice big viewing area from the top of the water fall to set the packs down and admire the views.

Emperor Falls

From there we carried on the trail until we approached the junction to turn off the main trail to check out the most anticipated waterfall: Emperor Falls. It is just a short distance off of the main trail with minimal elevation change, so it is definitely worth checking out. This is the only option to see the full waterfall. That falls are not seen from Emperor Falls campground, like many would assume. If you want to get close enough to the falls without getting soaked, then I suggest putting a rain coat and jacket on, like I did. On this day, it was beginning to rain more so I definitely made sure to get my photo fully protected from the elements.

Emperor Falls Campground to Berg Lake

Carrying on from the waterfall, we headed back on the main trail and finished up our last steep section that ends at the campground. We stopped for a snack at the campground. This was a quick snack, as there is no shelter here and it began to rain more. Even though there were some nice camping spots along the river, I personally wouldn’t stay at this campground. It’s much nicer to stay at a shelter that can offer some relief from the elements, other than having to set up a tarp or hide in your tent.

Once you leave the campground, you walk through a rocky valley towards Berg lake. It was very windy during this section and began to ice rain. We passed one more campground which is called Marmot campground. This campground is the second smallest campground with only 7 tent pads. It is situated near the beginning tip of Berg lake where you can see the Berg glacier off of Mt. Robson. Of course we were very excited despite the weather elements we were enduring.

The weather actually changes quite quick here. So, as we were walking along Berg lake towards Hargreaves Shelter, the sun began to peak out which was lighting up the lake and glacier. We got to Berg lake campground, which is also where Hargreaves Shelter is. This shelter is the only fully covered shelter. It is quite large with an nice deck. However, I hear it can get quite crowded and even impossible to get into when the weather is unfavorable. Berg lake campground is the biggest campground with 26 tent pads. Originally we tried to book our group here but there wasn’t enough spots. We were later glad we ended up at Robson pass campground anyway.

Robson Pass Campground

Hargreaves Shelter Berg Lake

After warming up, eating some lunch and enjoying Berg lake, we carried on to our campsite. We wanted to make sure we got there while we had this break in the rain to get our tents set up. Robson pass campground is just a 2km flat walk. It will maybe take you 30 minutes to get to. Along the way, we passed Rearguard campground, which is the smallest campground with only 5 tent pads. Shortly before the campground, we saw the turn off for the second ranger station that you see on the Berg lake trail. I’m not sure how often a ranger stays at this cabin. If there is no ranger at either of the cabins, you are able to call for help through radio if need be. I must say the ranger stations added that extra feeling of security.

Home Sweet Home

Alright let’s chat about the campground. We absolutely LOVED this campground! My friend and I got a super private tent pad with gorgeous mountain views. There is not a full open shelter like Kinney or Whitehorn here, but there is a tiny shelter that you can still dry some items in. And the rangers are able to set up tarps above the two large picnic tables. So honestly, it worked out just fine for eating our meals and hanging out. We were even surprised that we were actually able to have a fire here. I’m not sure if that’s always the case. I’m pretty sure it’s not allowed when the weather is dry and warm. The weather stayed pretty cool here, even dipping down to zero one night! We had a mix of rain and sun during our stay here.

The next morning we switched to our day packs and headed on the best day hike that connects with the Berg lake trail: Snowbird Pass! Please add an extra day to your trip to accommodate for this day hike. I promise you won’t regret it. It will be a long day with some steep sections but at least you won’t have to carry your heavy pack!

You can find the trailhead about a half a km from Robson pass campground heading back towards Berg lake. The trail starts off flat, but don’t be fooled, the climb is coming (ha ha). Rearguard Mountain is towering over you on this first stretch. Rearguard Mountain stands beside Mt. Robson. Although it’s not nearly as tall as Robson (3954m), it’s still pretty massive standing at 2744m.

Rearguard Mountain and Robson Glacier in the distance.

Snowbird pass hike goes follows along the Robson Glacier, which has receded a significant amount since 1911. However, it is still gorgeous and massive. After climbing up and following a ridge for a while, Robson Glacier will go out of view and you head into a meadow. This is where we encountered many chunky marmots running around. People often see mountain goats here too! The hike ends when you hit Snowbird pass where you get to enjoy stunning views of the Reef Icefields, Coleman Glacier and surrounding mountain peaks.

Marlene posing in front of the Robson Glacier.

There is mixed information regarding hike stats out there but it is around 21km return (from Berg lake trail turn off) with 780m elevation gain.

Dolores and Steph at Snowbird Pass.

Panorama photo at Snowbird Pass.

Today was the day where we all kind of just did whatever felt right. For me, I was exhausted from a lot of hiking the past three days so, I decided to keep it chill. Most of the group went to check out the Toboggan Falls which begins from Berg Lake campground. Another group member decided to do the Mumm Basin trail. Only part of the trail was open at this time, so she went as far as she could. I hung out at Hargreaves shelter and journaled for while and walked around the lake.

Later this day, a couple of us went and checked out Adolphus lake. We were camping right near the border into Alberta (Jasper National Park) and Adolphus lake is just a short walk over. If the weather was nicer we would have walked around the lake, but it was starting to rain heavier so we headed back to our site to enjoy the warm campfire.

Adolphus Lake~ Jasper National Park

Check out this LIST OF DAY HIKES provided by Taryn of “Happiest Outdoors”.

Day 5, we woke up and it was time to say goodbye to Robson pass campground. We now had to slowly make our way back down the Berg Lake trail. Thankfully after enduring heavy rain since the prior afternoon, it cleared up and actually ended up being quite hot the rest of our trip! We were actually pretty grateful the heat waited until the last couple of days, because it would have been rough coming up with our heavy packs on a hot day. It was also really neat to revisit some sights that now looked different with clear weather, such as Emperor Falls and Berg Lake. Even hiking through the valley between Berg lake and Emperor Falls felt and looked different.

We stayed one more night at Whitehorn campground. Feelings of sadness came upon us as we realized we would be leaving the next day. However, we were looking forward to some fresh food and a shower! It really is amazing to spend an extended amount of time in nature completely unplugged from the rest of the world. The perfect way to reset.

In order to camp along the Berg Lake trail at one of the 7 campgrounds, you need to reserve your spots in advance. This trail is very popular and books up fast. Reservations for the following summer open up October 1st each year.

For our group, we needed to book 6 tent pads at each site. So, I knew that I would need to book right on reservation opening day to ensure I could get the campgrounds and number of tent pads we needed.

Let me tell you, that was a stressful process October 1st, 2019. The tent pads were filling up by the minute. I was actually surprised I got us all booked in. Thankfully my group was very flexible with timing. We had originally planned to do the trail end of July 2020, but we ended up having to book for mid August.

This year was a little different later on, people were actually able to book last minute for the Berg lake trail due to the new rules with the pandemic. The new rules stated that only BC residents could camp at BC parks, so people who missed out booking in advance like we did were able to go. Typically though, you and your group should plan to book when reservations open in the fall for the following summer.

Reservations and Pricing

You can book your reservation online here through the Discover Camping Website: Backcountry reservations. Choose “Berg Lake Trail” in the drop down menu and be sure to book each campsite separately. For example, if you need 1 night at Kinney Lake, 2 nights at Berg Lake and 1 night at Whitehorn, you will need to book those all separately in the system online. You do have the option to call the call centre, but you will be charged a fee to do so.

The fees include your backcountry permit ($10/day) plus $6/tent pad.

Other Considerations

Depending on where you are coming from you may want to stay somewhere before and after the trip. Our group came out from the lower mainland area of BC, which as about 7-8 hour drive from home. So, we decided to stay somewhere before and after our trip.

We decided to tack on some waterfall adventures the day before at Wells Gray Provincial Park, so we stayed in Clearwater, BC. Clearwater is just over 2 hours away from Mt. Robson Park. I highly recommend making a pit stop there as there are 41 waterfalls to enjoy there, most of them are right off the main road too. This makes it a relaxing added adventure. We stayed at Wells Gray Inn, which was a perfect little affordable motel off the main highway and close to the turn off to head into Wells Gray Park.

On the way out we decided to stay much closer to the trailhead after, as we knew we would be wanting a shower as soon as possible! So we stayed in Valemount, a small town less than half an hour from the trailhead, at Canada’s Best Value Inn. We chose this hotel because it had a hot tub and swimming pool, which we thought would be amazing for our sore muscles. Sadly due to the pandemic the hot tub/pool was closed. But we enjoyed our stay regardless. There’s a nice little pub across the street that was perfect for fueling up after many days of eating dehydrated meals.

If you are new to multi-day backpacking, like a couple of us were, you may be looking for some additional information to prepare for your trip.

First of all, you may be wondering how and what to pack for your adventure. Check out these 8 packing tips for an Overnight Hiking Trip. Be sure you include your 10 Essentials of Hiking as well.

As mentioned before, the weather will range here. You will want to consider packing for a range of temperatures and expect wet conditions at some point. To lighten your load, you may want to consider sharing a tent with a friend and have one person carry the tent and the other carry the food.

That brings me to my other point. Food. You are going to want to choose your food menu wisely. We didn’t realize how ridiculously heavy food is, even when packing light foods! It also can take up way too much space if you aren’t mindful of your food choices. Take a look at REI’s Meal planning for Backpacking. There are a ton of water sources on the trail so lighten your water weight and bring a water filtration option of your choice.

The Berg Lake trail was an amazing first multi-day backpacking experience. This trail literally has it all and it’s a great trek for a beginner backpacker. Consider this trail for your first multi-day excursion. You’ll feel safe and be able to go at your own pace by having options to stay at multiple campgrounds along the way.